Menu

Author’s Archive: R Smith

Alappuzha, popularly known as Alleppey, is the administrative headquarters of Alappuzha District of Kerala. The backwaters of Alappuzha are one of the most popular tourist attractions of Kerala tour packages. Regardless of the district you choose to visit in Kerala, the beautiful state will certainly reward you with a lush green surrounding and a serene atmosphere. Owing to the exotic beaches, endless backwaters, canals, sky-blue lagoons, Alapuzzha is the ‘Venetian Capital’ of Kerala. Here are some of the best places to visit in Alleppey—

Kuttanad Backwaters

One of the most sought-after places of Alleppey, Kuttanad is an amazing tropical region consisting of serene waterways, lakes, rivers, canals, and rivulets. Covering a distance of Kollam to Kochi, the length of the entire water body is about 150 km. Considered as the backwaters paradise, the four major rivers that flow in the region are Meechil, Pampa, Achankovil, and Manimala. The swaying of coconut trees and the swishing of winds add an exotic charm to this place. Try choosing a comfortable houseboat to make your journey through the backwaters enjoyable.

St. Mary’s Forane Church

One of the most visited places in Alleppey, the beautiful church dates back to 835 AD. The church organises two festivals every year including the St. Mary’s Feast (Third Sunday of September). There is an ancient and attractive statue of Sebastian exposed for public only during the feast festival. The regal look, the gorgeous decorations, and the feast make this place a must-visit spot in Alleppey.

Alleppey Beach

Sparkling sands, beautiful waves, crystal clear blue water, and majestic views of sunrise and sunset is what that defines the beach of Alleppey. Known for its vast and endless stretches and swaying coconut trees, Alleppey Beach is one of the most sought-after beaches of Kerala tour packages. The beach holds a special place because of its importance in the maritime history of Kerala. The remains of Alappuzha Sea Bridge is one of the prime attractions here. You can also visit Sea View Park, Vijay Park, Bishop’s House etc.

Pathiramanal

The name Pathiramanal means ‘Sands of the Night’, is a small island in Lake Vembanad on the backwaters of Alappuzha. The place is home to approx 91 species of birds and 50 species of migratory birds. The island is a bird watcher’s paradise and is one of the offbeat tourist spots. With an absolute serene setting, the experience of walking through the island or taking a ride across Vembanad Lake is sure to impress you.

Nehru Trophy Snake Boat Race

The trip to Alleppey seems to remain incomplete without mentioning the boat racing activity. Also known as Vallam Kali, Snake Boat Race is an annual competition held in every August on Punnamada backwaters. Unlike the other boat races, this race has teams with at least 100 people rowing and singing together. Recognised as a cultural symbol, the boat race is one of the major highlights of the state.

Alleppey is a blend of natural beauty and cultural heritage. The tourist spots hold the versatility of the place in a wonderful way.

People in huge numbers prefer to visit the beautiful land of India that is well known for its beauty, rich culture and diversity, with people practicing different types of religious beliefs, food habits and the like. Having a very long history and having attracted foreigners since time immemorial, this beautiful country is still known to attract very strongly the tourists from all parts of the world to visit it at least once. One can have a dream holiday at this country and be rewarded with its mesmerizing beauty and endless tourist attractions.

Top Tourist Places to Explore During the Trip

The Taj Mahal:The majestic Taj Mahal constructed by Shah Jahan, the Mughal Emperor, in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal occupies a slot in the 7 Wonders of the World. This beautiful palace turned mausoleum is one of the UNESCO World Heritage places in the world. It is constructed using pure marbles and studded with 28 varieties of rare semi-precious and precious stones. The construction work involved 20,000 workers and was completed in 16 years. It is a must visit for every couple who want to know more about “Love”.

Ajanta Ellora tour: It is considered to be Maharashtra’s pride and is world famous. The rock cut temple showcases artistry and skill of a very high degree, created by the erstwhile Indian craftsmen, centuries ago. Ajanta is said to date about 100 B.C., and Ajanta is younger to it by about 600 years. Most caves here do display exquisitely detailed carvings that can be seen on the pillars, entrances and walls. One can learn about ancient Indian art and history from these caves.

Varanasi Ghats: Varanasi or Benaras as it is popularly called, is the oldest city in the country that is still densely inhabited. They are built along the River Ganges and boast of having numerous Ghats including the famous Manikarnika burning Ghat and Dashawamedh Ghat and other ghats. More than 100 Ghats can be found here along the river at this place constructed by different Maratha rulers such as the Holkars, Shindes, Peshwas and Bhonsales. According to mythology, people taking a trip here can attain salvation as well as purify their souls. Those who are cremated at one of the ghats here are said to find moksh and go to heaven directly.

Indian Museum: It is located in Kolkata, West Bengal and boasts of having wide range of items that are collected from medieval and ancient times. Tourists can find here ancient fossils, relics and coins from the times of Mohenjodaro and Harappa. Besides there is present a mummy that is said to be 4,000-year-old. Also, is present an urn known to have Buddha’s ashes. Several other historic pieces can also be found here.

Kaziranga National Park: Located in Assam, it is considered to be the home to the great One-Horned Indian Rhinoceros. There also reside different types of birds and animals. One can enjoy the elephant ride within the park and explore the nature in its natural self.

Tourists can combine different places and customize their trip to India.

Our private tours are top quality trips made affordable by sharing the cost with others for a total of 4-6 individuals only in the group. These are really exceptional value for money, trips like you profit from a high quality expertise that is very private while dividing the cost with another couple or two. Private tours include pickup and drop off out of your resort. Pickup is available from Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Rishon Le Zion place, and the Netanya place.

Tours are conducted in a fresh, cozy, and air conditioned minivan with English speaking driver guide.

The 100% happy guest coverage covers our semi private tours.

What this means is that we ensure that you could have an excellent expertise or your cash back. There are 4 excellent touring options and there isn’t any question as you share with others for a maximum of 6 men only that these are fantastic value for money day trips! Find all the highlights in Jerusalem and visit with Bethlehem in the day. In your private tours of Jerusalem your guide will pick up out of your hotel and drop to wherever you want to go off. Draws including the Church of the Holy Seplucher, Western Wall, Via Dolorosa, Ancient Rome Cardo, Mount Zion, Garden of Gethsemane, not to mention love a float at the Dead Sea in the day.

Descend to the lowest stage on earth and visit Qumran, the Dead Sea, and the website of the last stronghold of the Jew Zealots – Masada. Sea of Galilee, visit Nazareth, Jordan River, Mount of Beatitudes, and Capernaum with the full day trip from Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. Our semi private tours are top quality excursiuions that provide you the opportunity to possess a personal guide for the trip to a manageable cost. If you’ve never seen Israel before or if you’re trying to find a quality travel experience in a price that is reasonable – this is a tour for you.

We are going to do anything possible to ensure you’ve an enjoyable time. We’ll offer you up to 50% refund if you contact us immediately after the tour if for any reason you aren’t pleased with our service. You can expect extraordinary client support in Israel and we’re pleased to backup our devotion with this cash back guarantee!

Israel offers some of the greatest choices for shore trips in the world. Where else could you say that you’ve walked the Via Dolorosa, seen the Church of the Holy Seplucher, touched the Wailing Wall, shot a selfie with a camel had falafel for lunch, and floated in the Dead Sea – all in one day! We ensure that you may have the finest shore trip in Israel or your cash back. We are going to ensure your visit is memorable and enjoyable and that you’ll recall your journeys in Israel for life.

Travel in relaxation and style in a brand new van and take advantage in a service that is personal and adapting. So you might have an excellent experience while paying less than the private tours small group tours are organized by us!.

Spending the holidays and vacation just by sitting at home is not a worthy idea. It is simply the waste of time and holidays. You must plan a small trip or vacation to some popular destination according to your interest. You can opt for the destinations with beautiful sceneries, destination where you can enjoy the adventurous activities, high tech cities and many more. If you are planning to make your upcoming vacations the awesome, you can take help from the travel agencies or the trip organizers for planning the exotic vacations for you. For travelling in India, there are lots of travel agencies that are having online operations and planning the holidays of the localites and foreign travelers to India.

Reason for the popularity of online travel agencies is that it gives the ease to the travelers to make the vacations the most convenient one. Travelers get the hassle free facility right from the booking of the tickets to the booking of hotels, flights and other transportation for travelling. These days, most of the travel agencies in India are opting for Air India flight services for their customers. This is the most established flight agency in India that provides domestic and international travels. This company partners with more than 51 inland domestic locations and 34 international locations, making it as the first choice of travel agencies flight services for the travelers in India and abroad.

Find Flights for You

To avail the travelling facility by travel agencies, you are needed to create the account on their website. It will help you to make all the booking and confirm the travelling needs. On the travelling portal you will be able to find the flights from your source destination to the final destination. When you enter the details of the source and destination location, you will get the list of all the flight with schedule time and availability. Instant booking facility is also available so there is no delay in booking of the flight. You can also check the reviews of the customers for different flights to make booking in the best flight.

Hassle Free Services by the Travel Agencies

On hiring the services of the reliable travel agencies, you will be set free from all kinds of troubles. You can get the Air India Web Check in services thus saving your time at the airport for the check in procedure. You just have to login to your account and with the help of your ticket number you can check in to your flight while you are still at your home or in the office. Web heck in facility is available for the business and economy class flights and valid upto 2 hours before the departure of the flight. You can even select for the meals and other facilities that you want to have on the flight. Along with the flight booking the travel agencies provide for the airport transfer facility also. Hence, you will not have to face any sort of trouble during your holidays.

For decades, the Red Sea has been regarded as one of the most beloved diving spots in the world. As such, it has become a focal point of tourism for all types of vacationers. The Red Sea is between arid land, desert and semi-desert. Reef systems are better developed along the Red Sea mainly because of its greater depths and an efficient water circulation pattern. The Red Sea water mass-exchanges its water with the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean via the Gulf of Aden. These physical factors reduce the effect of high salinity caused by evaporation in the north and relatively hot water in the south.

Each season promises fantastic weather conditions. The short flights from Western countries to Egypt make for a comfortable ride. What makes it so attractive to divers is the far-reaching stretch along the coastline that travels from the north to the south of the country, as well as into Sudan.

It features several miles of rich coral reefs that many tropical species inhabit, including small fish and fat pelagics. Numerous creatures can be seen at the late and early parts of the year, since they relocate from other countries to warmer climates during colder seasons.

The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. To the north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez.

Snorkelers get to see marine life activity when the coral grows in the sunshine’s direction. Red Sea diving is more scenic than diving in the U.K. The calming interruption of stunning marine life seen during your PADI open water training course intensifies the experience. Numerous dive centers in the Red Sea offer beginners classes, as well as classes for more advanced divers. The open water training course lasts about a week, and incorporates practical and theory assignments, followed by a written test. Day boats are also a fun activity, as they can get to dive sites inaccessible from the beach (or sites that are far from the resort).

You can also learn to dive from the Red Sea liveaboard, should you feel more adventurous. Currently, liveaboard tours are sectioned into northern and southern itineraries. Southern charters encompass marine parks, including the Elphinstone, Brothers, and Daedalus, which happen to be where the largest pelagics reside. Also found in the Deep South is St. John’s, which is located near the Sudanese border. This is a popular undersea photography destination, as it features alluring pinnacle structures and premium marine life. Most reefs and wrecks reside where the northern charters are.

Learning how to dive in the Red Sea will expose an all new world to beginners, and allows them to experience a variety of astonishing sights in the water’s depths. Upon finishing this course, most divers go on to complete the next level of open water training, which is more advanced. This provides more flexibility, as these sites can be toured by those qualified to reach such depths.

Lots of people around the world love golf, and lots of people love holidays. So why not combine the two into one fabulous golfing holiday experience?

As a golf lover, you’ve probably played a few holes whilst on holiday from time to time. But what if you could buy a holiday package to an exotic location where you could really indulge your love for golf, and enjoy lush and green surroundings at the same time?

The Real Benefits of a Golfing Holiday for Golf Lovers

Apart from the combination of exercise in the sun and relaxation that golf normally offers, when you go on a special golfing holiday, you’ll also find that you gain the following benefits.

Playing on the same holes every week can get a little bit boring, but when you combine golf with an exotic holiday location, you get the best of both worlds! You’ll be able to play holes you’ve never played before and also enjoy the bountiful features of an exotic resort, including other possible activities like kayaking and hiking. Exploring different overseas holes is a great way to improve your game, build up a new experience and enjoy the exotic environment. Of course, you’ll also be able to see how your golf game fares on a brand new course in different conditions! Surely this is a great challenge for any golfer.

By playing on a new course, you will challenge your golf game. And if you have any designs on getting better or making a career out of it, playing different courses is a real boon to your basic golfing skills and fundamentals.

If you play on the same courses in the same club environments week after week, going overseas on a golfing holiday will allow you to meet all sorts of new people who also play and love the game. You might pick up some new golfing tips and strategies to improve your play!

By physically and mentally challenging yourself in a brand new environment, you’ll also reduce stress and exercise your cognitive abilities.

Playing a game you really love in an exotic location, such as Thailand, will result in plenty of great memories that will last you a lifetime. You can make new golfing friends and take your game to a whole new level. You just never know what exciting new opportunities Thailand golf holidays will offer you! Imagine being able to do all this in a beautiful resort styled environment where you can rest and get away from it all.

Making Golfing Memories that Will Last a Lifetime

If you want to combine your love of golf with a restful and relaxing location in an exotic land, look no further than a golfing holiday. If you’re at all interested, do some research on holiday providers that offer these types of packages. Make sure you compare prices, become familiar with all the holiday package inclusions, such as accommodation and meals, and talk directly to the operators before you make your decision.

One of the few downsides of travelling through Australia is that most of the public transport options – including the long-distance rail, bus and commercial flights – ignore large swathes of the country, instead focusing their attention on capital cities and regional centres. Even getting around within the confines of a capital city can be an odyssey of epic proportions when you have to navigate any of Australia’s complex public transport systems. It’s best for foreigners and visitors to Australian cities and regional areas to drive private vehicles, as they allow you to control your timing and destinations, but for the most part people don’t travel with their own vehicle in tow.

Fortunately, hiring a car is a popular choice for many travellers, and you can truly enjoy Australia exactly the way you see fit when you’re at the wheel of your own destiny. Australians are notoriously friendly and hospitable to visitors, so you should have a look at the car hire companies operating near your travel destinations and see how they can help you to embark upon the holiday of your dreams.

Choosing a Car

Perhaps the most important aspect of hiring a car is choosing which car is best suited to your needs. Do you just need a zippy, efficient vehicle that will help you to get around a metropolitan area, or are you looking for a more rugged vehicle capable of housing you and your friends on a long road trip? Perhaps you need something that fits neatly in between those two extremes, a vehicle ideal for exploring the Outback or a short trip to your favourite Melbourne coffee destination. When you have a look at your hire car options, you need to have some idea as to what you’ll be using the vehicle for so the hire company can cater to your needs. Car hire businesses with a range of vehicles suited to all budgets and lifestyles are the best to work with, as their breadth of experience allows them to help you make an informed decision as to the vehicle that’s best for you.

When You Know What You Want

It’s always best to work with experienced car hire companies. This is primarily because those with experience in dealing with tourists and visitors from a range of backgrounds tend to provide exemplary customer service and a fleet of versatile, well-maintained vehicles for you to enjoy. You simply can’t beat the feeling of getting behind the wheel with the open road ahead of you and any destination you like available at the push of the accelerator, and the finest car hire companies are those that can provide you with a vehicle that will allow you to do exactly that. You may be travelling with the family and need a van to accommodate all your luggage and personal effects, or holidaying solo, in which case you’ll enjoy the luxury of a compact car. If you can, find yourself an award-winning business (the Golden Backpack is one prestigious award given to car hire companies, for example) so you can set out on the Australian road in style and security.

New York City is arguably the biggest and busiest city in the world. It is one of the most crowded places on earth, and yet, it is widely regarded as the best city on this planet. New York City is one of the most popular destinations for people who are looking to go on a vacation. If you want to experience life at its finest, you should definitely take a trip to New York. Places such as the Hudson River and Central Park are world-renowned attractions. However, the one thing that you should know about traveling to New York City is that it’s very hard to find accommodation. Many people who work in Manhattan and other boroughs often have to travel for an hour or more each day just to reach their destination.

If you are planning a vacation, you will probably be checking out hotels and motels that are located close to the city center. Unfortunately, due to the tourist traffic in the city, many of these hotels and motels are booked year-round. Instead, a better option is to check out vacation rentals in New York City. Many of these vacation rentals are considerably cheaper, and are given out on rent to travelers from all over the world. Here are a few things that you should know.

Why Rent a Property?

Renting a property is becoming a much better alternative for people who are into traveling. Rather than staying at a hotel and being confined to a single room, why not just rent a whole apartment for yourself? It’s cheaper and more convenient, and many of the apartments are also located in very decent locations. You can also negotiate the price with the host in order to minimize your outlay on the whole trip. Renting a property is a much better experience, because you won’t have to be confined to a single room!

Easy to Rent

The rental process is also easy. Many hotel owners often jack up the prices of their rooms during the tourist season in order to make more money. However, you don’t have to worry about all that if you are renting a property from a private host. There are plenty of services that you can use in order to browse through properties and make a booking.

You can easily make a booking before you leave home using the Web. There are hundreds of thousands of short-term rentals that you can choose from, whether you want to stay for a few days or a whole month. Companies make sure that the hosts are verified, and they usually work with corporate partners in order to minimize the chances of any troubles. Once you make a booking, wait for the booking to be confirmed before embarking on your trip. In most cases, the booking will be confirmed within minutes.

If your travel itineraries include flying over to Thailand for a well-deserved vacation, then look no further for a handful of useful things you can do in the Land of Smiles. Thailand features an assortment of activities to do and see and most of them could be found or done in the city. The capital supports the world’s finest attractions and located not far away from major transportation routes such as the MRT and BTS stations. Getting around Bangkok is much easier than one would expect; there’s buses, motorcycles, tuk-tuks, and taxis available in the city. Luckily, maps and road signs are now in English to help foreigners quickly navigate through Bangkok. For those peeled to their smartphones, foreigners can sign up for prepaid SIM cards to get the most out of Bangkok’s free WiFi hotspots. Living in Bangkok should never be a hassle as the city is home to many well-rounded accommodation facilities within close proximity to each other. Make the most out of your Bangkok vacation and take note of the many fascinating places you can go to within traveling distance.

EXPENSIVE SHOPPING SPREES

Shopping is a convenience for anyone staying in Bangkok. There are many noteworthy shopping centres in the city; MBK Center, Siam Paragon,Central World, Central Chidlom, Em Quartier, and Silom Night Market. MBK Center consists of an astounding 2,000 stores and dining establishments found from the ground floor to the top floor. If youwould like to visit Tokyu Department Store, Naraya, Canon, Pizza Hut and Gloria Jean’s Coffee, this mall is sure to satisfy. Siam Paragon is notable for being among the largest Asian shopping centres in Thailand. Fashion lovers are often seen at Siam Paragon, which is home to prominent brands such as Celine, Burberry, Fendi, Bvlgari, Marc Jacobs, Dolce & Gabbana, Hermes and much more.Other stores that carry brand name items include Central World and Em Quartier, Bangkok’s newest mall next to Chidlom BTS.

CHEAP SHOPPING SPREES

For travelers looking for items that don’t have a hefty price tag, Chatujak Weekend Market is an ideal location. The market opens every day from Monday to Sunday, but the market experiences more visitors on the weekends. What’s there to see at JJ? Plenty.If you’re looking for clothing, bags, accessories, shoes, electronics, and plants, you can certainly find them here. There’s an unlimited selection of items sold in JJ; in some corners of the market, you’ll spot vendors selling hand-painted sneakers or open-air galleries for dedicated art lovers to view and purchase artworks.

Whatever you may need in Bangkok to take back home, go to the weekend market to find everything you need for the ultimate souvenir.

Additionally, the Bangkok night markets found around the city sells tasty street food from hawkers, souvenirs, and authentic handicrafts. If you like nothing more than to browse through Bangkok markets, what better way than to delve into Bangkok’s famous night market locations for incredible deals?

OPEN-AIR PARKS

Other than participate in extensive shopping, Bangkok is also home to one of its largest parks; Lumpini Park. The large and airy park spans 142 acres, decorated with trees, and smoothly paved roads for fitness freaks. In the evening, guests can take park in the park’s exercise groups, flexing to fast-paced music and lead by fitness gurus dancing to the beats. Lumpini Park even has a manmade lake that gives people the chance to rent boats and dual-pontooned pleasure boats as well. If you want to enjoy a day of serenity while, you may benefit from a calming afternoon spent at Lumpini Park, located not far from notable hotels such as DusitThani Bangkok.

CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS

It’s not a complete trip without visiting one of Bangkok’s famous attractions, the Grand Palace and Wat PhraKaew. The Grand Palace is a stunning location used in the past and present as ceremonial grounds for important events. When the site isn’t used, visitors can entire the palace grounds but they aren’t able to enter the main palace itself. Wat PhraKaew, on the other hand, is a stunning and marvelous temple boasting the best of Thai aesthetics on the temple roofs, the gardens, to exquisitely drawn morals along the halls. AnyWeather Roofingexplains that the roofs of these temples are embellished with polished orange and green tiles, and has pediments made of rich marble. However, before you plan on visiting these two sites, it’s best to dress appropriately; shorts, sleeveless shirts, short skirts, and obscene T-shirts are prohibited. At the gates of the Grand Palace, vendors sell visitors clothing to wear to enter the palace grounds. Spending a day out at the palace and temple grounds would surely be exciting for experiencing one of Thailand’s grandest locations.

Whether you’re planning for an ultimate shopping spree or hanging out by Thailand’s top shopping centres, it comes without question why Bangkok is dubbed, The City of Angels. Visitors will get to experience the wonders of Thailand found only hidden in the capital, begging them to explore the city to its fullest.

A walking tour is the perfect way to explore the desolate area of Kimberley in Western Australia, which is why a growing number of tour companies are beginning to offer these tours to visitors. Because you do have your selection of companies to choose from, it is important to ask the right questions so that you can be sure that you are about to embark on a memorable journey that is also appropriate for you. The first and most important question is:

How Long Are the Walks?

Kimberley walking tours are usually around 2 weeks in duration, though this may vary depending on how long daily walks are. Depending on the day, travellers may walk anywhere from one to ten kilometres with stops in between. Many tours in Kimberley include stops at reclusive swimming locations which include waterfalls, rapids and hot springs.

Keep in mind that many of these tours are not strictly walking tours. For example, many tour companies will take guests on a 4-wheel-drive bus tour between Broom and Kununurra or will provide transportation to other more distant areas where the terrain is not safe enough for visitors to walk on.

Are the Walks Difficult?

The majority of walking tours throughout the Kimberley area are anywhere from easy to moderate. For extreme hikers, however, there are difficult to extremely difficult excursions available.

What Will We See While on Our Tour?

The tour you take will dictate what you can expect to see. But some spots in Kimberley are “must-sees,” including:

The Bungle Bungle Range;

Windjana Gorge;

The Manning Gorge; and

Zebedee Hot Springs.

During your walking tour you will be provided with a number of opportunities to take a dip in natural waterholes (such as the Bell Creek Gorge), indulge in glorious sunsets each evening, and unwind in unspoilt tropical oases.

What Kind of Accommodations Do You Provide?

Most of the tours will take guests to comfortable, designated camping spots every night, where guests will be provided with meals, spacious private tents, comfortable camp beds and mattresses. These campsites also have toilets with running water and will have hot showers.

For those who are looking for a more “wild” experience, you may find yourself backpacking in the bush. For those who are into luxury, you may take off on a “glamping” excursion around Kimberley. Ask the tour company if you will be responsible for providing your own materials for either, and if you will be required to carry them yourself during the tour.

How Large Is the Tour Group?

The smaller the group, the more personalised the attention you will receive. Most walking tours will have anywhere from six to fourteen people. Try to avoid going on a tour where there will be more than fourteen people, unless there are going to be several guides present throughout the tour.

How Many Guides Will Be with Us?

Most walking tours will have a minimum of 2 professional guides who know about Kimberley’s unique geography and landscapes.